“2. Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) 3. That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.” (Ephesians 6:2-3)
So many people knew my mom. She
never knew all of the lives she touched. She had such a gift of writing and
teaching that most will never attain.
I will never stop learning from my
mom. Her example of living a Christian life will always be remembered as a
personal witness for not only me, but also everyone who knew her.
She spent her final years
formatting the letters she originally wrote for my sister into a book. She had
taught the Bible Study to many ladies through the years. The greatest learning
times were in those classes where she actually taught the lessons (and she
lived out what she taught!). Nevertheless, the words that she put down in this
book will touch many lives if they will only implement the principles found
within – all from the Bible.
“This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein …” Joshua 1:8
It is important to know that all of God’s Word is essential.
“All scripture is given by
inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for
correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:15). Not only is it important to know what
it says, but it is even more important to understand
what it says.
An easy way to begin understanding the Bible is to become
familiar with it. The history in the Old Testament is very important to further
one’s understanding of the Bible as a whole. In Joshua 1:8 we can read that not
only is the book of the law to not depart out of one’s mouth, but it is
important to meditate upon it day and night. Meditate means “to dwell
on any thing in thought; to contemplate; to study; to turn or revolve any
subject in the mind.” This is an important thing to understand as one learns to
read the Bible. Reading the Bible involves much more than just reading a few
verses or chapters and then continuing on with one’s day. Reading God’s Word
involves meditating on it – to dwell on it in one’s thoughts, contemplating
what it says. Although we can understand that this verse in Joshua is initially
referring to the first five books in the Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus,
Numbers, and Deuteronomy), the importance of knowing God’s Word does not end
there. Remember that all of God’s Word is important!
If one would just recognize that the Bible is very organized
it would make it much easier to understand. For instance, the Old Testament has
thirty-nine books easily broken into five groups. The first five books are
called the “Law” where we can find the first 2,500 years of history and witness
God actively involved in the lives of mankind. The second group consists of the
next twelve books, often called “History”, where we pick up the history of the Israelites
at the brink of the Promised Land, prepared to enter. The first nine books of
History record the years in which the Jewish people occupy the land
of Israel. This not only includes
the times of the judges (when the people forgot God), the times of the kings
(when the people rejected God as their king), but also the captivity of God’s
people. The last three books of History reveal the remnant of Israelites that
were allowed to return to the Promised Land, also known as Israel.
There are five books in the middle that can be considered
“Personal Books”, for they deal with individual’s experiences with God and are
very personal. These books deal with individuals’ heart issues as they seek to
know and better understand God. These are Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes,
and Song of Solomon. The “Major Prophets” are the next five books, and the
“Minor Prophets” are the final twelve books. Understanding the timeframe these
Personal Books, Major Prophets, and Minor Prophets take place are imperative in
the understanding of the Old Testament as a whole.
The New Testament is organized as well for the ease of
understanding.
Reading, learning,
and understanding the Bible is the most important thing a Christian can do.
Although many people are taught a lot of Bible “stories” as a child,
understanding that these were real people and that God worked in these
individuals’ lives will make these events invaluable! Remember some words with
which Paul encouraged Timothy. “14. But
continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of,
knowing of whom thou hast learned them; 15. And that from a child thou
hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation
through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16. All scripture is given by
inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for
correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17. That the man of God may be
perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Timothy 3:14-17).
Have you taken time to become familiar with God’s Word?
Do you meditate (dwell on in thought, contemplate, and study) upon a portion of the Bible every day?
“Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.” 1 Corinthians 10:11
After reading 1 Corinthians 10:11, one can
understand that God’s Word was written for us. In the Bible, we find examples
of how we are to live our lives and to show us a picture of God’s plan. We are
to learn from what is written in His Word. Each Bible “story” we have learned
through the years is just a piece of the “puzzle” to complete the picture of
God’s plan. History may appear boring, but we must understand how fascinating,
and especially important, it is to be in our lives.
Because the history found in the Bible is so
important, we should desire to know that history – just like Peter, Stephen,
and Paul knew it. We are to understand that history is there to help us better
understand and know Jesus. The more we read in God’s Word, the more we begin to
understand that God had a plan. In the Old Testament, men didn’t fully
understand what that plan was, but through faith they believed. In the New
Testament, God’s plan was revealed through His Son, Jesus. Men still didn’t
understand until Jesus died, resurrected and ascended into heaven. But once
they understood, they could not keep silent. They shared what they learned with
others so they could know of God’s wonderful plan as well.
After Jesus ascended back into heaven with the promise to
return, Peter preached the Old Testament history. He had a new understanding of
who Jesus was ,why He had come, and that He would return one day. And what an
amazing response he received! Three thousand believed! And when he preached
again shortly thereafter, five thousand believed!
But there was another man named Stephen who preached the same
history, and he found a very different response to his message. The religious
leaders stoned him to death. There was one specific young man who consented to
Stephen’s death. His name was Saul. His initial response to the Gospel message
of Jesus was to seek out anyone who believed in Jesus and imprison or even kill
them.
He made a special trip to find anyone, man or woman, who
believed in Jesus. But on his way, he met Jesus. There was quite a
transformation in his life. Instead of wanting to kill those who believed in
Jesus, Saul (later called Paul) became a mighty preacher, and teacher, of the
history revealing Jesus.
Each of these men came to the understanding that all of the
Old Testament teachings were just pieces of a great picture. As they began to
contemplate the truths they had learned, they realized that they revealed the
picture of God’s plan to send Jesus into the world to take away their sin – if
they would only believe and receive Him.
Have you ever worked on a puzzle? Each piece is only part of
a greater picture. The picture is not complete without all of the pieces. You
could guess what the picture was going to be, but you wouldn’t completely know
without the final pieces. Once you put all of the pieces together, you can see
that greater picture. But when you are missing a piece, the picture is
incomplete. This is much like knowing some of the events of the Old Testament
and missing pieces of it. You cannot see the complete picture without reading
and learning all of the events in that Old Testament text. Throughout history,
people would try to understand what God was showing them. They trusted that He
held all of the pieces and would fit them into place in His own time. Once
Jesus came, many understood that all of the Old Testament was recorded for us
to understand God’s plan to send His Son, Jesus, into the world to redeem a
sinful people back to Himself. He wants us to understand this plan so that we
will know just how important it is to place our lives into God’s hand by trusting
in Jesus.
Do you enjoy doing a puzzle that doesn’t have all of the pieces?
Have you ever been so excited about Jesus that you shared with others what you have learned so they could know of God’s wonderful plan as well?
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28
Have you ever had something bad happen to you? According to
Romans 8:28, if we are Christians (have Jesus in our hearts and lives), and are
living according to God’s Word doing what God wants us to do with our lives,
everything will work out for good – even if it seems like something bad at the
time. There is a great picture of this lived out in the life of Elijah. Even
when the king and queen wanted Elijah dead, God provided for him and took care
of him.
In Elijah’s day, the nation of Israel
had already divided into two kingdoms, Israel
and Judah. The kingdom
of Israel never had a good king.
The worst was King Ahab. God called Elijah to speak to wicked King Ahab. God
sent Elijah to tell the king there would be no rain in the land; and there was
a drought for over three years. God provided for Elijah during the drought. He
sent Elijah to the brook Cherith where he had water. God sent ravens to bring
him food. When the brook dried up, God sent him to Zarephath where a widow
woman took care of him until the end of the drought. After over three years,
God sent Elijah back to King Ahab with a great challenge. Elijah told him to
have all of Israel
to meet on top of Mount Carmel. He called for a decision
from the people. Choose who the true God is. After Elijah’s great victory when
fire fell from heaven and consumed his offering, the people declared, “The Lord,
He is the God.” Because Elijah had all of the false prophets killed, Queen
Jezebel, Ahab’s wicked wife, wanted him dead. Elijah ran for his life. We learn
that God had not forgotten Elijah, for He showed Himself to Elijah in a still
small voice. Elijah thought he was the last one who loved and served God. But
God told him that there seven thousand others that had not served the false
gods. Therefore, Elijah was not alone. However, more than this reassurance, he
gave Elijah a helper – Elisha. Through all of this, we can learn that even
though the nation as a whole had forsaken God and turned to idol worship, there
were still those who had not forsaken God. Elijah was a great example of God
providing for one who was willing to give his life wholly to serve God, obeying
His every command. We should remember the encouragement God gave to Elijah when
he was greatly discouraged – and even fearful for his life (see 1 Kings 17-20).
Remember Romans 8:28: “And we know
that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are
the called according to his purpose.” Especially that all
things will work together for good if one is living the life God
would have them to live. It is important to trust that God will provide for our
every need.
During days where there are trying times and all seems to be
going wrong, stop and look at your heart and life. Seek God to see if you are
where you should be, doing what you should be doing. If you seek Him with all
of your heart, you can find Him. “11.
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of
peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. 12. Then shall ye
call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto
you. 13. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search
for me with all your heart. 14. And I will be found of you, saith the LORD …”
(Jeremiah 29: 11-14a).
If we will obey God, God will provide for us and take care of us – no matter what.
Are you living for God, trusting that He will work all things together for good?
A “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” John 1:3
Have you ever stopped to think about God’s creation? Have you
ever thought, “What is the greatest thing God created?” There are so many
wonderful and beautiful things that God made. Picture the mountains, beautiful
sunsets, the ocean, a full moon as it rises, and so many other amazing things
in God’s creation. But have you ever considered that the greatest thing God
created was you? There are a few things we can find in God’s Word that brings
us to this conclusion.
Remember first that God created the world in six days. At the
end of the first five days, God declared that it was good. Even on the sixth
day after God created all of the animals and everything that creeps on the
earth, God declared that it was good. But on that sixth day there was a special
creation. “26. And God said, Let us make
man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish
of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the
earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27. So God
created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male
and female created he them” (Genesis 1:26-27).
God made man in His image; a man and a woman. After this, we find that God
declared that his creation was “very good.”
God created man perfect, without sin. He made man with the
intent that they would be “holy and without blame” (see Ephesians 1:4). But
more than that, God created man to have fellowship with Him. “For we are his workmanship, created in
Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should
walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).
He wanted to walk with us.
As we read Genesis chapter three, we find
that Adam and Eve disobeyed God when Eve was beguiled by Satan, bringing sin
into the word which caused separation from God for all of mankind. This meant
that man could no longer fellowship with God as before because of this separation
(remembering that before this they had walked and talked with God in the
garden). Even though man failed greatly, God promised One would come to bridge the gap between sinful man and God
(see the first promise of this in Genesis 3:15)
which would restore that fellowship. Although Adam and Eve did not know who
that One was, they believed God’s Word.
Throughout the Old Testament, there were many
who watched for that One promised by God to come. Jesus, God’s only Son, came
into the world for me (and you). He came so that I could have the opportunity
to fellowship with God again – if only I would believe. “Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and
purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works” (Titus 2:14).
When Jesus came, He came to destroy the work of Satan. “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the
beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might
destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8).
God made each and every one
of us. If one would take time to read Psalm 139:1-18, they could understand
that even King David understood just how special each person created by God is.
One of the most important things that each person should understand is that God
created me. He made me a unique individual. And God created me to have fellowship with Him. God has
a plan for me. But because of sin
that separated man from God, each person must trust Jesus to reconcile them,
restoring that relationship.
Sadly, there are few people in the world today that truly understand their worth in God’s eyes. By remembering the importance of each person, and the great love God has for them in the sending of His only Son, Jesus, to bring them back to Him, we can once again understand the importance on our part to receive the great gift God has made available to us.
“So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” Psalm 90:12
Have you ever had an urgency to do something? What drove that
urgency?
For those who belong to the Lord, that urgency should come
from Him. We should not act upon our own fears or uncertainties – but we often
do. There should be a basis of a relationship with God that we know where He
wants us to be, and that we are doing what we should be doing. Sometimes He
will place something of importance in front of us that we need to take care of
now. Most often, it is just the regular day by day as we follow Him as He
leads. There are many things of this world that will affect that day to day
consistency if we allow them. That is something of which we must be keenly
aware.
One can’t help but think back to the time right before Jesus
was to be crucified. He gave his disciples some much needed final instruction.
He knew that it would be different for them – for He would no longer be
physically walking with them. They would need to know what was happening and
what to do. One very interesting thing we can find is found in John 17. There
was so much on Jesus’ mind. He knew the day for which he had come had finally
arrived: the day that He would willingly lay down his perfect, sinless life to
pay the penalty for all of sinful mankind – if only they would believe.
He went to the garden to pray. He knew the day was at hand,
and He knew there was one final thing He had to complete. At the beginning of
His prayer, He recalled why God had sent Him into the world, and he
acknowledged that He had completed the things God hand sent Him to do. But that
only encompassed the first five verses. The rest of the chapter, through verse
twenty-six, Jesus prayed for others. He prayed for His disciples that had
walked and talked with Him, for they were about to face the world without
Jesus’ physical presence to be with them. All together different than the
previous three years had been! But He prayed that God would help them remember
the Words that they had been taught, “For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they
have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and
they have believed that thou didst send me” (John 17:8). He had told
them what they needed to know to continue. He understood that trouble would
come, but that God would be with them, encourage them, and help them, “I pray not that thou shouldest
take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil”
(John 17:15). The disciples still
had work to do. They were to tell the world what Jesus had come to do,
establishing the foundation of the church and its doctrines.
But the one amazing thing that has always encouraged me is that Jesus knew that one day I would believe in Him, giving my life to Him. He knew that I, too, would need encouragement. “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word” (John 17:20). He knew that I must understand that He placed me here for a purpose, to fulfill His will for my life, and that I needed to act upon that – not what I want. Jesus was right where God wanted Him. He had done it all, with one final job to compete: He had to lay down His life and take it up again. I will never have such an important job to complete – no one ever will! But each person that belongs to Jesus has a job to fulfill. It is important to be wise enough to understand that. “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom” (Psalm 90:12). Read what else He prayed – for each Believer: “Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world” (John 17:24). One day I will be with Him in heaven, but until then, I need to be right were Jesus was – right in the midst of the plan God had for His life.
Are you in the midst of the plan God has for your life?
“For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him” Colossians 1:16
In Colossians 1:16
we read that God created everything, and it was created for Him. It is
important to understand that God created us for a purpose. God created man to
have a relationship with Him. After He created Adam and Eve, God walked with
them in the garden until they disobeyed His Word, and sin entered into the
world.
After understanding that God created us to have a
relationship with Him, we look at the Bible from beginning to end. Firstly, we
will take a bird’s eye view over all of history to see that God dealt with man
in different ways through the ages. The Bible is laid out in certain timeframes,
also called “dispensations.” A dispensation is basically a means by which God
deals with mankind throughout the ages because of sin
and employing God’s divine government. Each of the dispensations may be
regarded as a new test of the natural man, and each ends in judgment, marking man’s
utter failure in every dispensation. God dealt with His creation in
different ways at different times. God created the world as perfect, but when
man sinned, he brought the judgment of death into the world. Throughout the
ages, God gave individuals many opportunities to have a relationship with Him,
but each time they failed. They had to understand that the only way this
relationship could ever be restored would be by the atoning death of His Son,
Jesus. It is with this understanding that we look at the scriptures as a whole.
The seven dispensations allow us to see how God worked among
the people throughout the years. What began as a face-to-face relationship with
God (remember Adam and Eve in the garden) quickly turned to a sinful people
unable to approach God. But God, through His grace and mercy, promised to make
available to man the opportunity to once again have a relationship with Him. We
learn how man fell and was punished, and then how all of mankind was only evil
continually, so that God destroyed all but one family. God then gave the
governing responsibilities to mankind, and they blew it again, causing God to
confuse their language. When God selected a family, they ended up in bondage
and needed God to deliver them from Pharaoh. Yet when God laid the Promised
Land out in front of them, they were afraid to go. Once they entered the land,
they forsook God and needed judges to deliver them from the judgment God sent.
They then believed they needed a king “like the nations
around” to rule them, once again rejecting God and His plan. This kingdom ended
with the people in captivity because they did not heed the prophets God sent to
warn them. When God allowed them to return to their land, there was great sadness,
for they were not the great nation God had intended for them to be. When God
sent His Son, Jesus, the fulfillment of the promise was given, if only one
would believe. Jesus did many works to reveal God to the people and then laid
down His life for our sins. He restored that broken relationship that nothing
else through the centuries could do. When Jesus rose from the grave, He sent
His disciples to tell the world, allowing His apostles to do mighty works to
help establish the church.
Although the time of the mighty works has passed, today God still uses His people to witness to a lost and dying world. A faithful witness will tell them that the only way to have a relationship with God is through the redemptive work of His Son, Jesus.
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1
Have you ever
found yourself in a place where you did not know what to do, or even where to
go? What did you do about it? Did you cry, did you grumble and complain, or
stress about the situation? Or did you take your problem to God in prayer? How
often we forget that our first response should be to take our requests to God!
As Christians,
we have the privilege to approach the throne of God with our requests. “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing
by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known
unto God.” (Philippians 4:6). This should be our immediate reaction when we
need to receive an answer from God. We also must remember that He will answer
us in His timing – not ours. Have you ever asked God a question, yet did not
wait for Him to answer? How often do we miss God’s plan for our lives when we
are too impatient to wait upon Him?
Recently, I have
been a part of a group of people who were seeking God and His plan for us. We
had committed to stand by the truths found in God’s Word. However, we needed
clear direction. We prayed. We searched for answers. We waited. We continued in
the path we believed He had for us to travel. Many other people disagreed with
the decisions that we had made. Relationships were lost. New ones have been
made. We set a date that we needed an answer from the Lord, or we could not
continue. The date came, and God answered our prayer on that day, above and
beyond our hopes and expectations! We had put into practice what we had
learned: “But without faith it is
impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he
is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him”
(Hebrews 11:6)
Through all of
the turmoil during those days, and the negative words spoken against us for
standing for the truths found in God’s Word, we understood more about the truths of
God’s Word. “2. Therefore will not we
fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the
midst of the sea; 3. Though the waters thereof roar and be
troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.
4. There is a river, the streams
whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the
tabernacles of the most High. 5. God is in the midst of her; she shall
not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early. 6. The heathen
raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted. 7. The
LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge”
(Psalm 46:2-7). We experienced that, truly: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble”
(Psalm 46:1). We recognized that God is with us.
We witnessed
first hand what it is to do the following: “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the
heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.” (Psalm 46:10)
Another
encouraging word… “What shall we then
say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?”
(Romans 8:31).
“Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen
your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.” (Psalm 31:24).
“So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” Isaiah 55:11
God called many prophets in the Old
Testament to go forth and declare His Word to people. They mostly went, no
matter what happened to them. We all remember one particular prophet who chose
to disobey God. He chose to go the opposite direction God wanted him to go. The
way he
wanted to go. Remember him? Jonah, forever known as the prophet who was
swallowed by a whale. Why did that happen to him? Because he chose to do what he
wanted, instead of obeying God. But only after he was in the belly of that
great fish for three days and three nights, praying, was he willing to go
deliver the Word of the Lord to the people of Nineveh. Even with his
begrudgingly behavior, thousands of people repented before God, and God spared
the people and the city.
Have you ever considered any of the
other prophets God sent forth? Remember Isaiah. God asked who He could send,
who would go tell the people. Isaiah said, “Here am I; send me.” God told him to
go and tell the people, but Isaiah was warned that the people would hear him,
but would not listen to him. They would not understand what he was telling
them. They would not take any of the counsel of God’s Word that he gave to
them. It might sound good for somebody else, but not them. They would not get
it. Isaiah had God’s Word, yet the people would not receive it. When Isaiah
asked God how long he would have to tell this people who wouldn’t really listen
to anything he said, God told him to continue to tell the people until there
was no one left to tell.
Do you think that would have been a
hard thing to do? Isaiah was given more prophecies concerning Jesus, the Messiah
that was to come, than any other prophet. He was instrumental in helping the
people understand that salvation is of the Lord – not of anything man can do. Isaiah’s
name even signifies this, for his name means “Salvation is of the Lord.” Nevertheless,
tradition declares that King Manasseh had him sawn in two.
Many other people declared the
truths of God’s Word. One cannot help but think of Peter as he told of Jesus,
and many thousands of people give their hearts and lives to Jesus. Paul gave
his life telling people about Jesus, and establishing churches to teach the
apostles doctrine. He also spent much time in prison. Stephen preached the
Gospel message of Jesus, and he was stoned to death. However, these men were
faithful to the end.
Today should be no different. Each
Christian is called to go and tell the Gospel message of Jesus. To tell the
difference that God’s Word has made in that Christian’s life. No one may hear.
No one may understand. They might believe that it is good for someone else, not
for them. They might not receive it. Nevertheless, we are called to go and tell
– even when people don’t want to hear about Jesus. “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God”
(Romans 10:17). People must hear before they can believe.
“How then shall they call on him in whom
they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not
heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?” (Romans 10:14). The word preacher here means “to herald (as a public crier), especially
divine truth (the Gospel); preach, proclaim, publish.” This means anyone can
declare or “cry out” the Gospel message. “So
shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me
void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in
the thing whereto I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11). We are just required to
declare God’s Word to people. God will take care of the rest.
However, no one will know the Gospel
message of Jesus if we do not tell it.
Have you told anyone about what Jesus has done for you?
“…Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.” Joshua 1:9
Have you ever
been asked to do something that you felt completely unqualified and inadequate to
do? Was it someone you respect or admire that asked you to do the job? How did
you feel? Were you terrified? So many questions run through your mind when you
are called to do a particularly special job.
Think back for a
moment to Moses in the Bible. There is much recorded about His life and the
many things He did for God and the Israelites. He was extremely faithful! He
led the Israelites out of bondage in Egypt after the Ten Plagues. He led
the people to the foot of Mt.
Sinai, where God wanted
to speak to His people. However, because the people were so afraid to hear from
God, Moses went up the mountain to receive the Law from God. Moses led the
people through the wilderness for forty years. If you remember, the people
complained most of the time! Yet Moses remained faithful!
At the end of
his life, when he knew he was about to die, God told him to appoint a new
leader. Have you ever thought of how incredibly intimidating it would be to
follow the leadership position of Moses?! Nevertheless, God chose Joshua to
lead His people.
After Moses died
and Joshua prepared to lead God’s people into the land of promise, God spoke
words of instruction to him. But more than that, He spoke encouraging words to
Joshua: “8. This book of the law shall
not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night,
that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for
then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
9. Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid,
neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee
whithersoever thou goest” (Joshua 1:8-9). As long as Joshua would heed
God’s Word, he would be prosperous and have good success. He would need to
follow those instructions if he were to lead God’s people! But the best part of
these verses: “Be strong and of a good
courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is
with thee whithersoever thou goest.” I can’t imagine any more encouraging
words from God, Himself! It would be amazing to know that God would be with him
wherever he went! There was no reason to fear.
But wait! I have
instructions from God, and even encouraging words of my own that He has
promised me (and each person God calls to serve Him) because He called me
to love and serve Him. “5. Let your
conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such
things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
6. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear
what man shall do unto me.” (Hebrews 13:6-6). I am to walk according to
God’s Word, content with what God has for me in my life. I am to do the jobs He
has for me to do — for He promises that He will never leave me, nor forsake me.
How amazing is that! I can count on God to be my helper, never afraid of what
man may do to me. Such comforting words, knowing that He will help me do
whatever it is that He has for me to do.
Do you walk in God’s Ways?
Do you realize God will help you with whatever it is that He has for you to do?
